


Fit as a fiddle

by starstruck_moon



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Baz plays the violin, Fluff, M/M, Violins, idk how to tag, lots and lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:53:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26359768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starstruck_moon/pseuds/starstruck_moon
Summary: Simon and Baz share a lecture course and are crushing on each other from afar.They get put together for a project.But Simon's fallen in love with someone else too - his violinist neighbour he's never even met.Snowbaz University AU <3
Relationships: Dev/Niall (Simon Snow), Penelope Bunce/Shepard, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Comments: 27
Kudos: 155





	Fit as a fiddle

**SIMON**

Today’s been like every other day. I woke up, got dressed, went to Penny’s flat down the road and ate five scones and a cup of tea for breakfast. We went to a lecture together, then she met up with Agatha and they went off to another lecture while I headed back to my room and did some work. Then lunch with Penny and Agatha, another lecture, shift at the Watford Bakery then back to the room to watch Friends with Penny.

She left twenty minutes ago, and I’m curled up on my bed eating mint Aero bars and finishing my essay. I’m not putting too much effort into it, though; it’s due next week and I have the whole weekend to do it. It’s just a way to pass the time until - 

There it is. Rich, melodious notes come through the wall that I share with the mysterious violinist next door. I press myself to the wall, trying to hear more. It’s beautiful; long, haunting, sad. Today’s music is particularly eerie and has a sense of yearning and loss that pulls at my heart. I’ve never even felt this much emotion in my life before but the player is making me feel tortured, lonely, and craving for more…

The piece continues for a few more minutes before it crescendos to a finale and the spell is broken. Suddenly, I can hear again the clanking of pipes, toilet flushing in the flat below, rush of traffic and a thousand other sounds that I’d filtered out. I sigh and turn out the lights, dreaming of long fingers holding an elegant violin.

The playing started a week after term did, so around two months ago. It happens at around ten thirty every night.

I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

I haven’t told anyone about it, not even Penny. The weird thing is, I don’t even know the player. I’ve met the other students on the floor: Gareth, with his weird collection of belt buckles, Trixie, who’s in my maths class, and three others whose names I can’t remember right now but who always smile at me and say hello when I pass them.

My neighbour, though - I’ve never even seen them. I don’t think anyone else has, either. I tried knocking on their door once, in the morning, but they must have been in a lecture. Maybe their timetable just doesn’t fit with mine. (Maybe they’re a vampire and only go out at night, when I’m asleep.)

Still, I feel like I know them better than anyone else on the planet, just through their playing. I get the sense that they are playing pieces that correspond to their mood; usually it’s melancholy wailing pieces or sometimes fast, furious pieces that make me want to start dancing. Occasionally, they’ll play something jolly and upbeat, which I like the best. I never listened to classical music and I don’t know any of the pieces, but I spent a long time trying to find them on Spotify. I made a playlist of a few that I recognise.

I don’t tell Penny or Agatha (even though I’ve known them since primary school) because they’d find it weird; you can’t get to know someone just through their playing, especially when you’ve never seen them or spoken to them or never even found out their name. You can’t obsess over them and you definitely can’t fall in love with them.

I think I have though. And it’s confusing me, so much, because there’s someone else as well.

**BAZ**

Simon Snow.

He’s in one of my lectures, and I can’t get him out of my head.

He’s beautiful, with bronze curls, sparkling blue eyes, sun-kissed skin and a galaxy of moles.

The class we share is Psychology. It’s helpful for my major, Law, just like my mum’s. Becoming a lawyer is the only path for me, really - I want to make a difference and I want to follow in her footsteps. My dad wasn’t too thrilled - he wanted me to take over his company - but I said Mordelia can do it. He accepted it and moved on.

I sit behind him in the large auditorium, next to my friends Dev and Niall, and overhear him talking to his friend Penny. She takes Economics and he’s doing Physics, but apparently Psychology interests him. He wants to be a teacher and help kids. He loves sour cherry scones - he’s always munching on one during class. 

I’ve been crushing on him since I first saw him. I’ve known that I was gay since Year 10, and been with a couple of guys, but it never meant anything. 

Simon, though. He’s just my type.

And he probably doesn’t even know I exist.

**SIMON**

Monday morning. My head’s pounding and I’m exhausted. I went out with Penny at eleven (when the violinist finished playing, a beautifully sweet piece with long drawn-out chords) and went to sleep at four am. I woke up late with a mild hangover. 

I didn’t get to get breakfast from the Watford Bakery - where we do these amazing sour cherry scones and I get an employee discount - so I picked up two lattes and two mediocre croissants from a Starbucks along the way to my Psychology lecture. Penny’s already there when I get in. I shove a croissant and coffee at her and collapsed into the seat next to her. She’s in a similar state to me.

There’s only one person who can turn my day around. Right on cue, Baz Pitch saunters in flanked by his two friends, looking absolutely perfect. 

The thing about Baz is that he’s stupidly rich and it shows. He always looks impeccable, like some kind of model. He’s also really smart - probably smarter than Penny. He sits behind me and answers every question that Penny doesn’t, perfectly and without hesitation.

Agatha’s friends with his family and she told me a little about him. How his mum (Natasha Grimm-Pitch - even I’ve heard of her) died when he was little, killed in a fire. How he got sent to boarding school as soon as he was old enough. How he wants to be a lawyer, just like her. The fact that he’s part of the university football team (and wins us all the matches) doesn’t exactly help either 

I’ve never really talked to him properly. Once, I borrowed a pen from him when Penny didn’t turn up to a lecture and I forgot mine. It was a monogrammed fountain pen. (Why does he have a spare monogrammed fountain pen?) 

I’ve known I like guys for a while now, probably in my last year of school. I’ve never gone out with a boy though. I dated Agatha for a while but it didn’t click and we broke up. (We’re still really good friends and I care about her a lot.)

Baz was a confirmation, though. He walked in on the first day and my heart rate picked up immediately and butterflies fluttered in my gut. It took me a couple of weeks to understand why.

I’m majorly crushing on him. 

I keep wanting to get to know him better, but I never have the opportunity. He’ll arrive just in time for the lecture and leave immediately after, so there isn’t really time to turn around and start a conversation. Plus, I’m still confused about my violinist. 

The professor is finishing up her lecture. I’ve taken the bare minimum of notes, and Penny’s not much better off. We have to do a project in pairs.

“I’ll be assigning the pairs,” says the lecturer. I groan inwardly - I work best with Penny. I zone out as the lecturer starts listing names, although I catch that Penny’s been put with some guy called Shepard.

“Basilton Pitch and Simon Snow” she calls. I’m alert immediately. Behind me, I can feel Baz’s gaze drilling a hole in my head.

The butterflies in my stomach start dancing a tango.

**BAZ**

I’m simultaneously picking out a gift basket for the professor and cursing my awkwardness when Simon smiles at me. (Looks like he did know who I am after all.)

“Should I give you my number? That way we can arrange to meet up and work on the project”

“Sure,” I reply, feigning nonchalance and pretending that Simon’s number isn’t precious and holy. I’ve never been more glad of my ability to control my voice and expression.

“Perfect! I’m free anytime, except when I have lectures,” he says, punching his number into my phone.

I’ve got football practice, and I’m part of a few societies (orchestra, Pride Soc, debate and others) so I’m quite busy. It’s part of the reason I’ve never met any of the people living in my building - I leave while everyone’s asleep and come back when they’re either out or inside.

“I have a few things, but they’re not too important. Would tomorrow morning work for you?”

He frowns. I try not to think of how adorable it looks. “I have a shift,” he admits. “Can you do the afternoon?”

I nod. (I can skip debate.) “Sure, that would work”

**SIMON**

In the end, I ask Keris to cover half my shift so I can go back to my room and freak out. I’m not normally clothes conscious, and my wardrobe consists mainly of tracksuits and hoodies, but I’m trying to find something vaguely presentable and failing completely.

My phone buzzes with a text from Baz. (A text from Baz!)

_Where are we meeting? I was thinking a cafe would be a good place as long as it’s not too crowded._

There’s only one place.

_do u know the watford bakery_

He replies with a yes, so I turn back to the floor. I pick out a pair of black jeans and a band t-shirt. Then I try and drag a hairbrush through my curls, which doesn’t really work, so I spare a glance at the wall I share with the violinist before heading out. 

**BAZ**

Simon’s already there when I reach the cafe. I’ve been there a couple of times before, but although I’ve got a massive sweet tooth they don’t do my favourite drink (pumpkin mocha breve) so I don’t go there often.

He’s sitting on a table near the window, listening to something. He doesn’t see me come in. I approach the table.

“Hello,” I say, slightly awkwardly. I’ve been brought up to be as charming and upper class as possible (and I’m really quite good at it), but all that goes out of the window when faced with Simon Snow.

His head jerks and he almost knocks over the hot drink on the table. A delicate flush paints across his face and he grins at me, all sunshine and warmth. “Hi” he replies.

We work for a couple of hours and by the time we’re done it’s almost dinnertime. We’ve finished about half the project and still have a lot of time to do more. It’s fun, working with Simon. He’s enthusiastic and works hard, even if he’s slightly slapdash. It works well with my methodical way.

I don’t want to go yet. I’ve got an essay to be working on, though, so I stand up.

Simon stands up too, suddenly looking slightly nervous. “Do you - would you maybe want to get dinner with me?”

That essay can be done tomorrow. I nod immediately.

**SIMON**

We end up just going to McDonalds. Working with Baz felt incredible. We didn’t talk about much apart from the project, but he smirked at my terrible jokes and inserted his own witty comments. Seriously, he’s so sarcastic. I’d hate to be on the wrong end of that - I’d be terrified.

Over dinner, I get to know him a bit better. I tell him about how I was raised in a care home and got taken in by Ebb when I was thirteen and how I want to be a teacher, so I can help kids who aren’t as lucky as I was, and how I love physics because everything fits together and makes sense and there’s so much more to discover. He tells me about his mum, what he remembers about her and how he wants to carry on her legacy, about his annoying little siblings (I can tell he doesn’t mean that), about how his father was disappointed in him when he came out as gay. (My heart did a little celebration when he said that last one.)(Not because his father’s disappointed in him, obviously, because my stupid little crush might actually have a chance.)

“What were you listening to?” he asks as we eat McFlurries, sitting side by side looking out onto the street. It’s getting darker but the street’s still really crowded. 

I blush. “Oh, it was actually classical music,” I reply.

His eyebrows shoot up at that. “I didn’t have you pegged as a classical fan” he says, surprised. “Who’s your favourite composer?”

I don’t really have one, but my violinist seems to play a lot of Elgar, according to Spotify. “Elgar” I say.

He smiles radiantly. “Mine too,” he says. “Do you play any instruments?” 

I shake my head no. “You?”

“I’ve been playing the violin since I was three”

“That’s definitely my favourite instrument,” I reply excitedly. “Would you play for me someday?”

He shrugs, but he’s still smiling. “Maybe someday, Simon”.

After we leave, I go to Penny’s and spend the rest of the evening gushing about Baz. Shepard’s there, too. Now that I think about it, I have seen him in Psychology before. He says hi to me and leaves soon after I come.

Penny rolls her eyes at me but lets me carry on until it gets to ten and I have to go back in. No way in hell I’m missing the violinist.

They play a piece I recognise. By some crazy coincidence, it’s an Elgar, and my favourite so far; I’m pretty sure it’s called something like Salut d'Amour. Each note is played exquisitely with more feeling than ever before. I fall asleep dreaming of Baz playing the violin.

**BAZ**

I don’t see Simon over the next couple of days. When I do, I’m passing the Watford Bakery and I can see that he’s behind the counter, talking to his friend, so I enter. (I can’t not go in.)

I go up to the counter and greet him. He grins adorably back at me while making a coffee and winces after spilling a little of the hot liquid on himself. His friend gives me a scrutinising look, for some reason; I feel mildly uncomfortable. 

“Can I get a chocolate marshmallow frappuccino?” I ask.

Simon makes a face but goes to make it anyway.

“That much sugar should be illegal,” he comments.

I laugh. “I have a massive sweet tooth,” I reply.

“I like sweets, but there’s a limit”

“Not for me”

The frappuccino is really good. I pay for it and start to sip it when a familiar face enters the cafe.

“Baz! I haven’t seen you in ages, how are you doing?” 

It’s Agatha Wellbelove. She looks gorgeous - long blonde hair rippling out from behind her, azure eyes sparkling. She grins at me.

“Hey Agatha. How’re your parents doing?”

Our families are acquainted and she came round to dinner once or twice. I don’t know her that well, though, - I’ve only ever made polite conversation while talking to her. She’s exactly the kind of girl my father would have wanted me to marry.

“They’re fine. How’s your family?”

“Doing good”

She smiles at me again before turning to Simon and Penny. Simon slides a bag and a drink across the counter. 

“Thanks, Si,” she says, and he beams at her. “Wait, you two know each other?” I ask.

“Yeah, the three of us have been friends since primary school,” replies Simon. I feel a slight pang of jealousy.

They join me at a table for lunch. I get along unexpectedly well with Penny, since it turns out she enjoys debating just as much as I do. We debate classical greek literature, the ethics of cloning, climate change and loads of other topics while Simon and Agatha watch us argue, heads swivelling between us like it’s a tennis match. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. (Dev and Niall don’t exactly have strong views on anything, so I can’t do this with them.)

“Why aren’t you in debate society?” I ask her finally. 

She shrugs and looks thoughtful. “I don’t know. In freshman year I didn’t have the time, but I don’t really have a reason not to now”

“You totally should!” interjects Simon. “You’d be really good at it, Pen.”

I nod. “We could do with someone like you”

She smiles. “I’ll think about it”

**SIMON**

I love this. Baz and Penny make an incredible pair. I’d hate to be in between them in an argument or have them gang up on me. I guess I just have to make sure that neither happens.

Baz and I agree to meet up at some point to finish our project. I give him my employee discount, even though he really doesn’t need it. 

The more I hang out with him, the more I like him. He’s witty, lightning smart and patient with it. He’s also really graceful in everything - his handwriting, the way he walks, his speech - compared to my clumsy self. He’s really handsome too, especially when he smiles. He usually looks untouchable and pristine but his smile makes him look softer, more human. 

It makes my heart stop.

I went out with Penny again today (after the violinist) and we’re having a good time together. She’s really fun when she drinks and giggles like a three year old. I’ve only had one drink, though. At some point Shepard turns up (although Penny calls him Shep and he lights up - looks like something’s going on there) and she goes to dance with him. I’m left alone watching them, leaning against the bar and sipping a cocktail.

“Looks like I’m not the only one third-wheeling tonight”

I spin around and there’s Baz. His pale face has a little more colour than usual and his hair, normally slicked back, is soft and falling in his face. (I wouldn’t call it messy, though.)(Baz could wake up, be dragged through a bush and forced to run a marathon and his hair would still look good.)

He’s wearing jeans; it suits him. (Like really _really_ suits him.)

My heart stops and then starts beating at double speed. I open my mouth and close it again.

Baz grins at me and then gestures behind. “My friends Dev and Niall recently got together and honestly it’s a nightmare. I mean, I’m really happy for them, but I’m just trying to stay out of their way for now.”

I find my voice and put all my effort into trying to sound normal. “Yeah, I think Penny definitely likes Shepard,” I try and find them, where they’re dancing with abandon. They look adorable together. I turn back to Baz, who’s watching me. My cheeks heat up.

“There’s a park near here,” Baz says, suddenly looking shy. “Do you maybe want to go there for a bit?”

I nod eagerly and he grins at me again and leads the way. The park’s lit by warm lights and the stars are visible. There’s no one around. We sit on a bench and start chatting, about everything and nothing, until there’s a lull in our conversation. We sit quietly, side by side, and look up at the stars.

“There’s Ursa Major,” Baz says at last, pointing to a cluster of stars. I squint, but can’t make out any particular shapes. “Where?”

Baz scoots closer to me and holds out his hand. I take it, ignoring my quickening pulse. He points my hand to Ursa Major, then shows me a bunch of other constellations. 

I glance at him, and he’s looking back at me. He’s closer than I realised (not that I mind). We gaze at each other.

**BAZ**

I think he’s going to kiss me.

We stay locked in each other’s eyes, and it feels like a lifetime. Simon’s got deep blue eyes full of life. They’re beautiful. 

He’s beautiful.

Then all of a sudden, he blinks and pulls away.

“I - um - I - I have to go,” he mumbles, looking away and turning red. “Bye”

He turns and all of a sudden, he’s disappeared into the night.

I stay in the park for a long time before returning to my room. I don’t sleep for a while - instead, I play my violin for hours - long, mournful, wailing pieces - and try not to think about anything. (Usually, I just play one piece when I get back. It helps soothe me. I’m not the best player, but I do know a lot of pieces and there’s always one that perfectly sums up my mood.) Simon doesn’t like me; I just misread him. I’ll move on. It’s fine. (It’s not.)

I fall asleep when the light of morning comes creeping up.

**SIMON**

I don’t know why I did that.

I could tell that Baz likes me (probably _liked_ , past tense, now) and I thought that it was exactly what I wanted. That he was exactly what I wanted.

Then I remembered the violinist next door, and I rejected the most perfect guy for a faceless, nameless musician who might already be in a relationship. 

I go straight to Penny’s flat (it’s much closer than mine) and crash on the couch. She’s probably still at the club, so I let myself in and drift off to sleep immediately. When I wake up, clothes rumpled and with a headache, she’s still not there.

My phone buzzes with an incoming call. My heart jumps - what if it’s Baz? (It won’t be.)

It’s Penny.

_“Si! Where are you?”_

“Hey Pen, I’m at your place. I just got up. Where are you?”

_“I went home with Shep last night”_

“You what?”

_“No - not like that! I just mean I crashed at his place when I couldn’t find you!”_

I laugh.

“ _On the_ sofa, _Simon! Anyway, we have maths together in half an hour, remember? I’ll get breakfast. I’m three minutes away from yours, so I’ll get your stuff too”_

“You’re a lifesaver, Pen”

I shower and get dressed in two minutes. (I keep a spare pair of tracksuits in Penny’s house - I often stay overnight when we watch Netflix the whole night.) There’s a pack of crisps in the kitchen I grab on my way out. (My headache has eased somewhat, but I’m still starving.)

Maths drags on and on. (I normally really enjoy it, but today I’m just finding it a bit dull.)

I eat lunch with Penny and stay silent pretty much throughout the meal. I’ll tell her everything later, but right now I’m trying not to think too much. (I’m good at not thinking about things, but something about Baz keeps forcing him to the front of my mind. How he looked at me like I was precious, and I just left him. Why did I do that?) Penny stays silent, too. She knows me well enough that she knows I’ll tell her what happened when I feel like it.

We have Psychology next, but I decide to miss it. I don’t feel like facing Baz today. Besides, our project isn’t due for a couple of weeks yet. (I forgot about our project. I’m going to have to face Baz at some point.) I ask Penny to take notes for me and I go back to my room. 

I’m sprawled on my bed trying and failing to do some reading, when suddenly I hear the violinist again. I check the time - it’s two thirty. They’ve never played at this time before. 

They play for what could be seconds or hours. (It doesn’t matter.) I’m entranced. The music’s sighing and lonely - like a broken heart. 

Then a piece ends and there’s silence. I bolt up and off the bed and sprint out into the hallway.

I know they’re in there, now. Maybe I can tell them how much I like their music. (How much I want to hear it for the rest of my life.)

I hesitate before knocking on the door, self-consciously looking down at myself. I’m wearing tracksuit bottoms and a random t-shirt with Keep Calm and Carry On written on it. (I think Penny gave it to me at some point.) I glance back up at the door. It’s a rusty red, just like mine, with a simple door knob and a number 61 on it. 

I take a deep breath, but before I can knock the door swings open.

It’s Baz.

**BAZ**

Simon Snow is standing outside my door.

Simon Snow, who left me in a park just when I thought he was going to kiss me. (Simon Snow, who’s just a friend.)

Simon, who I ditched Psychology to avoid. (Why isn’t he in Psychology?)

What is he doing here? (How does he know where I live?)

He’s gaping at me and he’s gone totally red. His mouth opens and closes. (He looks adorable.)(I need to stop thinking that.) 

I quickly rearrange my face to give him a level poker face. (I have a range of poker faces, I’m really good at them.) I treat him to my trademark cool stare. It’s used to unnerve people. (Though Simon’s already pretty unnerved. It’s actually kind of funny.)

He flushes deeper and starts stuttering. “I - I - you - violin -”

He’s not making any sense and I doubt he’s going to be coherent. I interrupt him.

“What are you doing here?”

He collects himself, although he’s still staring, wide-eyed. “I- I live next door”

I blink. How have I never seen him here before? (Granted, I’ve only ever met one or two others in the whole building, so it’s not a huge surprise.)(I have a weird timetable.)

“Oh,” I respond, trying to sound disinterested. Simon swallows and ducks his head. 

“Yesterday - did you -” he starts.

“Did I what?” Where is he going with this?

“I thought I - do you like me?”

I shrug. Easy question. And I’m not going to lie.

“Yes”

“Like - _like_ me like me?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me -” I try to leave, but he puts his hand on my arm and looks at me.

“Wait - I - I like you too. Both sides of you.”

I stop. (He likes me? And both sides of me? What is he talking about?)

“Then why did you walk away? And what do you mean, both sides of me?”

He looks down again.

“I - well, I heard you playing the violin every night. And it was so beautiful, I kind of got a crush on you just from hearing you play, but there was you from Psychology. And then we got put together for the project, and I liked you even more and I thought I had a chance but then I remembered the violinist you, and I couldn’t - I didn’t want -” he takes a deep breath, “I just mean, well, you’re both the same person and...” he trails off. 

“That didn’t make any sense, Simon” I say.

He looks frustrated. “I fell in love with you twice,” he growls. 

Oh. 

“Oh”

He turns away. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles.

“No, wait,” I say quickly. He turns back, hope lighting up his face. 

“What -”

I kiss him. 

**SIMON**

We end up missing all our lectures today. I don’t mind, though.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Salut d'Amour by Elgar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp0A4lbdz4g
> 
> So that was my first snowbaz fic - please leave comments + kudos if you liked it! <3


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